OSHA Requests Additional Delay For Crane Safety Rule

Illinois workers and businesses that require work with cranes may face yet another delay in the implementation of OSHA’s rule to require certification for crane operators. The agency recently proposed a delay of the rule until Nov. 10, 2018. The responses have ranged from limited approval to outright protests against the delay. It will be the third that OSHA has sought for the rule since the rule requiring crane operator certification was first passed in 2010. A workers comp lawyer sometimes represents workers who have been injured while operating cranes and has also helped victims who have been injured while working around them. Requiring that crane operators have certifications to operate cranes could help to prevent injuries.

Why Businesses Oppose the Extension Request

Many businesses in industries in which crane work is required are opposed to OSHA’s requested rule extension. Some argue that businesses who have not implemented certification standards for their crane operators by now are unlikely to do so if they are granted more time to comply. By not mandating crane operator certifications, OSHA is allowing some businesses to get away with having poorly trained crane operators, endangering other workers as well as other subcontractors who may be working at the same sites.

What the Rule Would Do

The crane operator certification rule would mandate that all companies and businesses that use cranes must only allow workers who have obtained certifications in crane operation to work with them. The crane operator certification process requires that workers undergo a basic level of training in the safe operation of cranes. This rule might help to reduce workplace accidents and injuries because the crane operators would all have greater levels of training than they currently do. Some smaller companies hire people to operate cranes who do not have the certifications or training necessary for the safe operation of the cranes.

Crane Accident Dangers

Crane accidents pose serious safety risks to workers and passersby. Crane accidents have happened when the rigging has been installed incorrectly, leading to collapses onto the streets below. Crane operators have also been trapped in the cranes, and some have fallen from them to their deaths. Many crane accidents that occur are preventable, and the certification standard would be a good step to helping to prevent them. A workers comp lawyer helps workers who have been injured in crane accidents to obtain benefits for their medical costs and income losses.